Wild Like Us - Krista Ritchie Page 0,162
want their children to see him. In case…
He’s fine.
I pinch my eyes once and shake it off.
Daisy is holding Kinney on the floor, soothing her, and I slip back into Xander’s room when the Alpha lead says Lo wants the hinges on Xander’s door removed.
I click my mic. “I’ll do it.”
He’s my client. And I need to physically do something right now. I don’t want to sit with my feelings. Plus, I like working with my hands. With tools. Usually on cars, but I’ll take anything.
So I leave for the garage, grab a toolbox, and Novak, Ben’s bodyguard, and I take the door off its hinges in a few minutes.
After all the kids leave and file out, I’m told that I’m “relieved” from my post. I’m back off-duty. Apparently Ryke and Rose are staying with Xander until his parents arrive. Lily and Lo will be with their son through the night, and so my job is done.
Just like that.
It’s hard to leave. But I have to trust that he’ll be fine, and I’ll see him tomorrow.
Epsilon and Alpha bodyguards pat my shoulders as I pass them out of the house. A small acknowledgement that, it’s okay. They don’t understand how difficult this night actually is for me.
They won’t.
Hell, I haven’t fully confronted what just happened.
And I know Thatcher will understand, but we have trouble surfacing some old history. I’m worried about my brother though. I don’t know how he’s dealing with this news from L.A.—and so I dial his number on my slow walk back to Epsilon’s mansion.
“I was just about to call you,” Thatcher tells me.
“He’s okay,” I say stiffly, my right hand cold. I only just now realize that I’m wearing one glove. I took the other off and ran to the Hale’s before I could put it back on.
Thatcher speaks under his breath. “Did he look upset?”
I bounce my head before saying, “Yeah.” I stare up at the falling snow. “He was sad.”
“Like last time?”
Yeah, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen him at a low and been there when he’s wanted to end his life…
I run my tongue over my molars, emotion balled up in my throat. “It wasn’t that bad,” I get out. “But I’m not saying it was good either—he’s okay.” I reinforce that. “How are you doing?”
“Fine. You?”
I rub my mouth. “Yeah, I’m good.”
He’s quiet.
I exhale the weight off my chest.
“Banks—”
“I don’t want to talk about him,” I say with more heat, breath visible in the cold. He knows I’m not referring to Xander.
I’m talking about our older brother who never lived past fifteen.
Thatcher pauses before saying, “I can fly back home.”
For me. “No,” I retort. “Don’t be a stunad, I’m fine.” I realize something fast though. “Unless you have to come home. You still have a job?”
“Still a strict-walking, no back-talking bodyguard, hell yeah.” Thatcher explains the new rules in order for Omega to keep their jobs after the video leak. One of which: they have to delete social media. I do too, but I’m only active on Facebook like Akara.
“Right on,” I say, and then we hang up.
On my walk to Epsilon’s mansion, my mind wanders. I run the back of my hand against my running nose while I remember him.
Skylar Moretti.
I remember that night he died.
The way my father yelled at Thatcher. We were just twelve. God, Thatcher rode a bike to catch up to Skylar at the quarry. He was too late.
Why did I have to ride a fucking bike tonight? Why was it even sitting against the mailbox? I reached Xander in time. But why was it me? Shouldn’t it have been Thatcher?
“Huh?” I look up at the sky, heat burning my lungs. “Why? This wasn’t my fucking redo.” I’m spiritual, maybe more so than my brother. And I’m superstitious.
It doesn’t make sense to me.
Why I had to be the one here tonight…
Why not give that absolution to my twin? That sense of accomplishment, of succeeding when you couldn’t the first time.
It stays with me the whole walk back. When I reach my residence, pain throbs my body again. Aches catching back up to me and amplified times ten, but I’m not ready to go inside.
I slip on the glove that I dropped and grab my shovel. Finishing the work that I started.
Thanks so much for reading this bonus scene! We can’t wait for you to read more about Banks, Sulli, and Akara in Fearless Like Us!
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MORE TO READ FROM KRISTA & BECCA
WHATEVER IT TAKES
New Adult Romance
She’s a shy wallflower who doesn’t like to be touched.
He’s the guy with the bad reputation who craves to touch her.
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Also by Krista & Becca
ADDICTED SERIES
Addicted to You
Ricochet
Addicted for Now
Thrive
Addicted After All
The Addicted Series Box Set
BAD REPUTATION DUET
Whatever It Takes
Wherever You Are
CALLOWAY SISTERS SERIES
Kiss the Sky
Hothouse Flower
Fuel the Fire
Long Way Down
Some Kind of Perfect
LIKE US SERIES
Damaged Like Us
Lovers Like Us
Alphas Like Us
Tangled Like Us
Sinful Like Us
Headstrong Like Us
Charming Like Us
Wild Like Us
Fearless Like Us
Infamous Like Us
Misfits Like Us
Unlucky Like Us
STANDALONE ROMANCES
Amour Amour
Infini
About the Authors
ABOUT KRISTA & BECCA RITCHIE
Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love.
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Pronunciation Glossary
The Italian used in this book is an Italian-American language developed by Italian immigrants. It is an incomplete language and uses Italian, English, or both. Different Italians speak different dialects in certain areas, and what is used in the Like Us series is prominent on the East Coast. Words may vary in pronunciation and spelling in different communities.
gabbadost’: pronounced gaa-baa-dahst (Origin: capa dura/capa tosta)
gavadeel’: pronounced: gaa-vaa-DEEL (Origin: cavatelli)
paesan’: pronounced pai-ZAAN (Origin: paesano)
rigott’: prounounced ree-GAUWT (Origin: ricotta)
scustamad’: pronounced skoo-stoo-MAAD (Origin: scostumato)
stunad: pronounced stoo-NAAD (Origin: stonato)
Acknowledgments
The Like Us series has reached beautiful, adventurous, wild Book 8. We’re incredibly thankful for all of you, the readers who’ve taken a chance on our work, for picking up these books when there are so many out in the world. For sticking with us and these families up to the eighth novel.
It means so, so much to us. The Like Us series has had our hearts and souls for years now, and to see it still going strong because of you is a precious gift.
Thank you so much Lanie, Jenn, and Shea—our Fizzle Force FB Admins—for all the time & love you’ve put into celebrating and supporting Wild Like Us and every book we’ve ever published. Thanks to our beautiful mom who has been our biggest cheerleader since we were little girls. We couldn’t do this without you. We love you all a waffle-lot.
Thank you to the Fizzle Force and to our patrons. Every reader who’s been on Patreon—you’ve all changed our lives. And we wouldn’t have reached Book 8 without you. Your love for these characters continues to inspire us and invigorate us. We are so grateful for each of you. Whenever we feel burnt-out or sad or doubtful, you all unknowingly remind us why we love to write. The spirit of writing and creating stories and characters is never lost. To see how these books, bonus scenes, extras, podcasts resonate with all of you is still surreal to us. Not a day goes by where we don’t look at each other and go, wow. We feel so lucky.
Writing this series has been a true joy and a source of love for us for so long. These characters often remind us that life is short, and there is no better life than to be surrounded by people who love you unconditionally. We hope these characters can be there for you if you ever need them like they’re here for us. And we can’t wait to keep writing more ;)
All the love in every wild universe,
Krista & Becca